District Cooling System (DCS) can contribute to energy-saving.
-How the electricity is used efficiently-

The world has been working intimately towards “carbon neutral” in response to the Paris Agreement adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in France on December 2015 and the Glasgow Agreement adopted at COP26 in the United Kingdom on November 2021. This year, COP28 will be held in Dubai, UAE from 30 November to 12 December 2023, where the Global Stocktake (GST) will also be conducted to assess the progress of the international community in combating global warming, as stipulated in the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, GST also serves as a basis for countries to revise their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) which sets greenhouse gas reduction targets and other measures necessary to meet the Paris Agreement targets.

As you may see this from other regions, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been established first in December 1971 and is currently formed from a federation of seven emirates, consisting of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah. Surrounded by the Persian Gulf and the Rub' al Khali, or the Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert in the world, covering parts of four countries in the Arabian Peninsula, UAE goes thorough mild winters and extremely hot summers throughout the year. Generally, months from November to March are considered as winter while months from April to October are considered as summer reaching as high as nearly 50ºC(122ºF) outside sometimes.

Under such climate, the amount of electricity consumed for air conditioning accounts for approximately 70%*1. There can be seen an enormous reliance on air conditioning facilities that consume a large amount of electricity while it brings us a comfortable stay in the city.

Although UAE has achieved economic growth supported by its oil & gases since its establishment, the country has been moving further forward in order to target Net Zero (Carbon Natural) by 2050. Situated in such a region where heat is extreme and water is scarce, UAE has long considered climate change as challenges that need to be improved and lived together, in relation to energy consumption.

In response to global climate change, MHI Thermal Systems  has been working to develop and provide centrifugal chillers in pursuit for both low environmental impact and high efficiency under the District Cooling System (DCS). DCS provides chilled water in a centralized location through a network of underground-insulated pipes , and is utilized by large-scale, high-density developments, such as business districts, airports, university campuses, residential towers, shopping malls and hospitals. Such concentration improves efficiency, reduces fuel costs, and prevents air pollution*2.

Back in history, DCS has first started in Germany and the United States of America in the 1870s. In Japan where MHI Thermal Systems’s head office locates, the Japan World Exposition in 1970 led the expansion of DCS as it could be one of solutions to tackle the worsening air pollution problem associated with economic growth at the time. In UAE, DCS has been developed since the early 1990s, enabling countries in the Middle East to perform sustainable development. Not only it deals with cooling needs, but also reduces the need for new power plants, fossil fuel requirements and substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the region.

【Landscape in the region of UAE where DCS supports through underground pipes】 

In Dubai, the emirate where the COP28 will be held, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC (Empower), one of the world’s largest district cooling services providers, has a significant presence. Since its establishment in 2003, it has operated 86 plants as of the middle of 2023, where MHI Thermal Systems centrifugal chillers have been already in operation at some of Empower plants. According to Empower, it saved approximately 1.7 billion kWh in 2021, equivalent to 176 million USD,* 3 compared to traditional cooling.

MHI Thermal Systems has developed large-capacity centrifugal chillers with a maximum capacity of 5,000RT which plays a role in contributing to such  DCS and will continue to provide environmentally friendly products.

 References from

*1 Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA)
https://www.dewa.gov.ae/-/media/Files/Customer/Conservation/Handbook-of-Electricity--Water-Conservation-Measures---English.ashx

*2 Emirates NBD Bank PJSC
https://ipo.emiratesnbd.com/-/media/enbd/files/ipo/empower/empower-prospectous-en.pdf

* 3 176 million USD = 646 million AED / 3.6725 exchange rate (exchange rate on 30 October, 2023 from Central Bank of the UAE)
646 million AED = (1.7 billion kWh x 38 Fils/kWh (electricity price on DEWA) )/ 100

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA)
https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/consumer/billing/slab-tariff

Central Bank of the UAE
https://www.centralbank.ae/en/forex-eibor/exchange-rates/

Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in our products.

 

 

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